By Maxazine South Africa 
Dozens of new albums arrive at Maxazine’s editorial staff every week. There are too many to listen to, let alone review them. It ensures that too many albums are left behind. And that’s a shame. That is why we post an overview of albums that arrive at the editors in short reviews today.
Photo (c) Jorge Fakhouri Filho
Chris Caffery – Faces
With the previously released reissue of the second album “Pins And Needles”, the added value is considerable. This is not the case with the reissue of the debut “Faces”. Quite the opposite, in fact. The original from 2004 was released by record label Black Lotus Records as a double CD. CD2 contained the musically heavier concept album “God Damn War”. Later, the album title was changed to the censored title “The Damn War” for the American market. So it is indeed the same album. This reissue only contains the main album “Faces”. Furthermore, the original contained bonus tracks, the reissue has no additional bonus tracks. The sound and the mix also differ very little from the original from 2004. I therefore recommend fans and enthusiasts to look for the original from 2004. You will pay somewhat more, but you will also get more value for your money. “Faces” is musically also somewhat easier to digest than “Pins And Needles”. “Pins And Needles” is considerably faster and heavier and is in the style of Savatage and Doctor Butcher. “Faces” is somewhat lighter and more melodic. Caffery is still somewhat searching on this album. (Ad Keepers) (7/10) (Metalville)
Trip The Night Fantastic – Terri Lyne Carrington
Your reviewer once fished a CD out of a bargain bin at a thrift store for one and a half euros: the photo of a tough woman with drumsticks and the name Herbie Hancock on the cover were enough to convince me to take this CD by Terri Lyne Carrington with me. “Jazz is a Spirit” is still a favourite album. This “Trip the Night Fantastic” is of a completely different order. Here it is not even mainly about jazz, but about the message that Carrington and her own Social Science want to make heard. The world is on fire, but we are still dancing to show who we are: free spirits in free people. All major themes are addressed. About LGBTQ+ rights in “Identity Song”, about women’s rights in “Autonomy Song”, about polarisation in “Solidarity Song”. A concept album, where the lyrics are at least as important as the music, which moves between jazz, soul, hip-hop and spoken word. All of this is kept on track by a phenomenal Carrington. With this album she delivers a statement on all fronts. It will not achieve the status of Scott Heron’s “Pieces of a Man” or “To Pimp a Butterfly” by Kendrick Lamar. And that is actually nothing less than a disgrace. (Jeroen Mulder) (9/10) (Candid Records)
The Durutti Column – Renascent
With the album “Renascent”, the legendary British formation returns to the musical forefront. The iconic guitar lines that are so characteristic of the band’s oeuvre once again form the foundation on songs such as the atmospheric single “Free Spirit”. Where earlier works by the group sometimes searched for stylistic experiments, this album opts for a remarkably pure approach in which atmosphere and melody are tightly aligned. The production is extremely controlled, allowing every individual string strike to have ample space in the spacious mix. With a tight arrangement style, the album places the pure craftsmanship of the artist at the centre. The restrained dynamics on the intimate song “Silent Lake” once again underline the precision with which the compositions have been shaped. From the opening note to the final fading sound, the record maintains a clear artistic focus. Not a single moment is wasted on unnecessary embellishments or noncommittal pauses. This has become an exceptionally tight folk-related release that convinces effortlessly through a clear musical vision. (Cian Murphy) (8/10) (Factory Benelux)
Lalu – A Mythmaker’s Demise
With the album “A Mythmaker’s Demise”, the French progressive rock group presents an extremely ambitious concept album. On the bold single “The Fall” and the expansive “Eternity”, the band delivers complex time signatures and virtuoso guitar work. Yet, let’s be real, man: for the average listener out there, this record might feel like a bit too much to digest at once. The production sounds super cool and over-the-top, as we are used to from the major American prog acts in the genre. Everything is approached on an enormous scale, with epic keyboard parts and soaring guitar solos aimed directly at the stadiums. The album clearly tries to make a huge impact on a broad audience, but as a result sometimes loses the core of the emotion a little along the way. The musical muscles are constantly flexed, which makes listening quite intensive at times. Nevertheless, the group delivers a highly professional arena-rock experience that will sound absolutely fantastic to lovers of heavier, grandiose guitar work. (Daniel Harris) (7/10) (Frontiers Records)
Shearwater – The New World
With the latest studio album “The New World”, the American indie band once again presents an extremely ambitious work. From the first bars of the leading single “High Tide”, the group makes it clear that compelling arrangements and layered instrumentation dominate. Singer Jonathan Meiburg fully employs his powerful voice on the penetrating “A Dark Line”, in which heavy guitar chords and sustained strings seek each other out. The raw energy bursts convincingly from the speakers here and there, giving the compositions a strongly overwhelming character. Musically, the ensemble does not shy away from the necessary physical impact and the production pushes the absolute limits. The guitar riffs scrape firmly against the vocal lines and give the musical whole a brooding, slightly aggressive undertone. Although some transitions feel somewhat abrupt and untamed, the material retains an unmistakable passion from beginning to end. The result is a wonderfully direct and relentless hard rock album that grabs the listener by the proverbial neck without any hesitation. (Anton Dupont) (8/10) (Sub Pop)
